发 meaning and stroke order
To send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue
How to write 发, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 发
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to send out
- to show (one's feeling)
- to issue
- to develop
- to make a bundle of money
- classifier for gunshots (rounds)
- hair
- Taiwan pr. [fa3]
How 发 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 又 (and), shared by 21 characters on this site.
How to remember 发
The bottom of 发 is 又 (yòu), a hand, with strokes flying out above it. Picture a hand flinging something outward to send it off, which fits the meaning of sending out or issuing.
发 (fā) is very common in verbs about sending, producing, or starting, as in 发现 (fāxiàn, to discover), 发生 (fāshēng, to happen), and 出发 (chūfā, to set off). Read as fà, it means hair, mostly inside words like 头发 (tóufa). Example: 我给你发了一个短信。(Wǒ gěi nǐ fā le yí gè duǎnxìn.) I sent you a text message.
Common mistake: Learners often say 头发 as tóufā with a first tone, but in standard Mandarin the second syllable is fà, and in everyday speech it is usually neutral, tóufa. Also do not confuse 发 with 友 (yǒu, friend), which shares the 又 part but has a different top.
Common words with 发
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 发现 | fāxiàn | to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect | HSK 2 |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off; to start (on a journey); (fig.) to proceed from (a particular standpoint or ba | HSK 2 |
| 头发 | tóufa | hair (on the head) | HSK 2 |
| 发生 | fāshēng | to happen; to occur; to take place; to arise (e.g. 發生問題|发生问题[fa1 sheng1 wen4 ti2] "a probl | HSK 3 |
| 发展 | fāzhǎn | development; growth | HSK 3 |
| 发出 | fāchū | to issue (an order, decree etc); to send out; to dispatch; to produce (a sound); to let ou | HSK 3 |
| 发明 | fāmíng | to invent; an invention | HSK 3 |
| 沙发 | shāfā | (loanword) sofa (CL:條|条[tiao2],張|张[zhang1]); (Internet slang) first reply to a forum post | HSK 3 |
| 发表 | fābiǎo | to issue; to publish | HSK 3 |
| 发动 | fādòng | to start; to launch | HSK 3 |
| 发送 | fāsòng | to transmit; to dispatch | HSK 3 |
| 开发 | kāifā | to exploit (a resource); to open up (for development); to develop | HSK 3 |
| 发言 | fāyán | to make a speech; statement | HSK 3 |
| 发达 | fādá | well-developed; flourishing; to develop; to promote; to expand | HSK 3 |
发 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 发
Learning 发 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 发
How many strokes are in 发?
发 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 发 mean?
发 (fā) means to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue. A common word with it is 发现 (fāxiàn), meaning "to notice; to become aware of; to discover; to find; to detect".
How do you pronounce 发?
发 is pronounced fā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 发?
The radical of 发 is 又, which carries the idea of "and". Dictionaries list 发 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 发?
The traditional form of 发 is 發 and 髮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 发 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 发 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 发 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 发 have two pronunciations, fā and fà?
Simplified Chinese merged two traditional characters into 发. 發 (fā) means to send out or issue, and 髮 (fà) means hair. Context tells you which one is meant, and the hair reading appears mainly in words like 头发 and 理发 (lǐfà, to get a haircut).
Why do people say 发财 at Chinese New Year?
发 can mean to make a fortune, so 发财 (fācái) means to get rich. The greeting 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái) wishes someone wealth in the new year, and the sound fā is one reason the number 8 (bā) is seen as lucky.